December 27, 2023 – the Third day of Christmas — “Love Your Neighbor”

The Twelve Days of Christmas

“If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.”1 Corinthians 13:1-13.

The phrase, “Love your neighbor,” may be one of the easiest to find in scripture (once in Leviticus, three times in Matthew, and one time each in Mark, Luke, Romans, Galatians, and James). While the passage is repeated often, acting on it is difficult. Loving our neighbor is one of the hardest exercises G-d asks us to practice every day. In fact Jesus does not suggest we love our neighbor; Jesus says loving G-d and our neighbor sums up every commandment, every law, and every instruction every given to us by the prophets. Loving our neighbor is important—and next to loving G-d, it is the most important thing we can do. But I confess, it is much easier to love the lovable neighbor than it is to love the cranky neighbor. But if we are to be a vessel for G-d to show love to our neighbors—then we need to pray for G-d’s strength in loving our neighbor every day – without distinctions.

Paul lists all the qualities of G-d’s love he can imagine: Love is patient and kind, it protects, trusts, and hopes. And Paul also lists the things that love is not: It is not boastful, envious, or resentful. With this list, we are reminded that faith, hope, and love abide. These qualities stay with us, drawing us together to the feet of Jesus. Love is the greatest of all these things—it is the root, branches, and fruit of G-d’s plan for each of us.

The real question for each of us on this third day of Christmas is, “How can we love G-d and each other better?”

Pastor Dave

December 26, 2023 – Boxing Day

The Second Day of Christmas

“Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty firmament! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his surpassing greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with clanging cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!” Psalm 150

Over and over, the Bible invites us to praise G-d, not because G-d needs our praise — but because this is all we can give to G-d: Prayer, Praise and Thanksgiving. The book of the Bible we call the “Psalms” is a book of praise for G-d and provides us many examples of how to praise G-d. During worship, we often sing praises to G-d in song. But praising G-d is not something that necessarily comes naturally to many. I have found that when I put something in G-d’s hands, I am more readily able to praise G-d for whatever the outcome might be. This is the purpose of Psalm 150 — it reminds us to praise the Lord.

The day after Christmas is know as “Boxing Day” in many countries. The Oxford English Dictionary notes the earliest recognition of this day in Britain in the 1830s, defining it as “the first weekday after Christmas day, observed as a holiday on which postmen, errand boys, and servants of various kinds expect to receive a Christmas box”. This custom is linked to an older British tradition where the servants of the wealthy were allowed to visit their families on the day after Christmas since they would have to serve their masters on Christmas Day. The employers would give each servant a box to take home containing gifts, bonuses, and sometimes leftover food.

On this second day of Christmas, let us praise the Lord for all the gifts we have been given – and pray to find ways to share our abundance of gifts with those in need.

Dear Lord,

Thank you for the opportunity to praise you. Thank you for showing us reasons why and ways to praise you. Thank you for helping us understand that our works can be a way to praise you too. Guide us each day in how best to give you thanks and praise, and to share our blessings with others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Pastor Dave